‘Lois Boisson the new star of world tennis, but it means nothing for Wimbledon’
France’s Billie Jean King Cup captain Julien Benneteau believes Lois Boisson was unlucky not to receive a Wimbledon wildcard, but insists organisers of the grass-court Grand Slam did not do anything wrong.
Twelve months after an ACL injury denied her a debut at the French Open, Boisson enjoyed a fairytale run at her Grand Slam singles draw debut as she received a wildcard entry for Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old upset third seed Jessica Pegula and sixth seed Mirra Andreeva to reach the semi-final before her run was ended by eventual winner Coco Gauff in the last four.
Having started the clay-court major outside the top 350 in the WTA Rankings, Boisson surged to No 65 after the tournament, but her rise was not in time to earn an automatic appearance in the Wimbledon main draw as the direct entries had already been confirmed at that stage.
Her next best option was a wildcard, but she was overlooked by the All England Club as seven of the eight entries went to British players with the final wildcard handed to two-time champion Petra Kvitova.
She has since decided to enter the qualifying tournament while she will also receive a direct entry into the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open in August, but the Wimbledon decision not to hand her wildcard into the main draw was criticised in some quarters.
However, former world No 25 Benneteau feels although it was harsh, the All England Club didn’t break any rules.
Speaking on Grandes Gueules du Sport on RMC, he stated: “The English don’t give a damn about Lois Boisson. They do what they want. They didn’t break any rules, that’s why it’s not unfair.”
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What also counted against Boisson was the fact that she hadn’t played on grass with the majority of her top-level matches coming on clay.
Benneteau added: “Lois Boisson is unlucky: there are a lot of young English players who are coming up, and they’ve prioritised that.
“Before giving out wildcards, the English also look at your past on grass. Whether it’s at Wimbledon or in previous tournaments on grass.
“Lois Boisson has never played on grass, so for them, when we say she’s the new star of world tennis, that she’s reached a semi-final… For Wimbledon, it’s nothing for the moment. And it’s not pejorative.”
